


Defying Expectations

by thewishingdragon



Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: Alpha Betty, Alpha Veronica, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Courting Rituals, F/F, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, ace omega martha, omega heathers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:00:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24790465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewishingdragon/pseuds/thewishingdragon
Summary: Veronica's an alpha, and sure, that's not inherently a bad thing, but she's not all too jazzed about it, honestly. Alphas are expected to be demanding and entitled, and she had no interest in playing into that particular stereotype.The Heathers, an all-omega pack, are used to alphas being pushy jerks. Needless to say, they're more than a little surprised at the alpha they've welcomed into their group.It's an... interesting situation, that much is certain.
Relationships: Heather Chandler/Heather Duke, Heather Chandler/Heather Duke/Heather McNamara/Veronica Sawyer, Heather Chandler/Heather McNamara, Heather Chandler/Veronica Sawyer, Heather Duke/Heather McNamara, Heather Duke/Veronica Sawyer, Heather McNamara/Veronica Sawyer, Martha Dunnstock & Betty Finn & Veronica Sawyer
Comments: 25
Kudos: 433





	1. First Impressions

Veronica never liked being an alpha all that much, if she was to be completely honest. The culture surrounding them was toxic, and she had no interest in being like other alphas she’d met or heard of. Her parents, a beta and an omega, had made sure to teach her that being an alpha wasn’t a bad thing on its own, but it could become a bad thing if used to hurt others. They’d been careful with their words, but even at a young age, Veronica knew what they meant. Alphas were expected to be cruel and entitled, and people would assume she was no different.

She liked it better when she was younger, before she’d presented. Betty and Martha were both as lonely as she was, and they’d formed a pack out of their shared need to be wanted. They’d understood each other, and had created a close bond as a result of that understanding.

Then they started to present. Or rather, Martha had presented.

When her first heat hit, Martha cried. Betty and Veronica did everything they could to make it as easy as possible on her. They fetched pillows and blankets and all manner of soft things for her to nest with, they made sure she ate and drank enough, they even stayed and slept beside her to make sure she was okay. It hurt to know that there was nothing they could do to stop it, but they stuck by her side and alerted Martha’s dad if her fever got any higher or she seemed to be getting worse. By the end, Veronica and Betty had both learned a fair number of tricks for making heat a less taxing ordeal for Martha.

Veronica and Betty presented the next year within a week of each other. Both as alphas.

Rut wasn’t too bad, all things considered. None of the fever-induced delirium or cramps that came with heat. Just an intense need that she couldn’t shake no matter how hard she tried. Betty agreed that they likely had it much easier than Martha did.

They both became more protective of her after they presented. Not more aggressive, thankfully. Just more willing to guard their packmate from harm. In Veronica’s case, that usually meant drawing the attention of whoever made Martha feel threatened in order to keep her from having to go through it. In Betty’s case, it meant getting Martha out of there as fast as possible. Neither were quick to come to blows, but both were willing if it came down to that.

Veronica and Betty did their absolute best not to become alpha stereotypes, and once Veronica’s mother explained that the typical aggressive dispositions most alphas had was a learned behavior rather than an instinctual one, they became a lot more secure in their ability to be better than other alphas, and knowing what their  _ actual _ instinctual behaviors were made things much easier.

For instance, apparently nesting was universal, and anyone who didn’t indulge that instinct was liable to become stressed and agitated. Alphas nested just like omegas did, but the methods were usually different. Alphas tended to just have piles of clutter with their packmates’ scents, whereas omegas generally learned how to make structured nests that were actually comfortable to lie down in. Betty and Veronica took to helping Martha build her nests as practice for making their own, and pretty soon, they were able to make comfortable nests as well as any omega they knew.

She also learned the importance of scent marking. She and Betty both took scent blockers, and Veronica took suppressants to keep from going into rut at an inopportune time, but both found that, when they scented Martha, alphas and betas tended to leave her alone instead of harassing her. They made sure to scent her often once it became apparent that most alphas put someone else’s claim above the feelings of the omega they were trying to talk to. As awful as it was that they had to basically place a claim on their friend, it was necessary for her safety, and above all else, they wanted their packmate safe.

She and Betty managed to protect Martha throughout middle school and most of high school, and Veronica was proud of herself, not only for her ability to protect her packmates, but also for her devotion to her pack, as well as her self control, which, she figured, wasn’t something that she should be able to be proud of. Every alpha should be able to control themselves. Still, the fact remained that most didn’t care to try.

Now though, she stood in front of the Heathers, the chance to be a part of their pack hers for the taking, if she would only accept it.

The problem was, however, that they assumed she was a beta.

“Actually, uh,” Veronica rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, “I’m an alpha. I’m just on scent blockers.”

Chandler looked her up and down skeptically. “You?  _ Really?  _ You don’t even act like one!”

“I’m choosing to take that as a compliment,” Veronica said.

Chandler’s lip curled in distaste at that. “Right. Well, if you’re going to be part of our pack, you’re going to have to alpha up. We’ve got no use for some weak-ass beta wannabe.”

Veronica opened her mouth to protest, to debunk whatever nonsense Chandler was deluded by about how alphas should act, but thought better of it. Best not to squander her chance before she could take it because she decided to snap at the leader of the most powerful pack in school and piss her off. “Fine. Whatever.”

Chandler smirked, and the Heathers got to work. Mac pulled out a makeup bag from somewhere and Duke inexplicably had a blue blazer on hand for some reason.

“The jeans and sneakers can stay,” Chandler drawled as she worked on Veronica’s makeup, “But the scarf is going to have to go, and you’re not wearing that denim jacket again.”

Veronica just shrugged on the blazer and nodded, too caught up in the fact that one of the most desired omegas in school was inches from her face, her hands brushing against her cheeks as she moved Veronica’s head around in whatever positions she pleased, her scent strong and sweet and the proximity absolutely maddening. Luckily, her self-control was stronger than her desire to get even closer and scent the pretty omega in front of her. She was better than that. She wouldn’t stoop so low as to touch an omega without their explicit permission.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Duke and Mac watching her curiously, most likely waiting to see if she would act like a stereotypical alpha. Instead, she smiled politely, murmured a “sorry,” when Chandler admonished her for moving too much while she was doing her makeup, and waited patiently.

Eventually, Chandler pulled back, and Veronica immediately missed the inviting pull of her scent, but the satisfied smile on Chandler’s face as she inspected her handiwork was nice enough.

“Not bad,” she mused, examining Veronica’s face and checking to see if anything needed touching up, “Take a look.”

Slowly, Veronica turned towards the mirror, and gasped in surprise at her reflection.

“Holy shit.”

Chandler’s smile widened. “Good, right? Probably the best you’ve ever looked.”

Veronica ignored the slightly insulting comment and examined her face in the mirror. Her makeup was pristine, nothing was smudged or out of place, and she quietly admitted that she didn’t have the skill necessary to make herself look this nice.

Not yet, at least. She’d practice until she was able to do it, though.

Before they left the bathroom, Chandler looked up at her and said “Stand up straight. You’re one of us now. Can’t have anyone thinking we’re slobs because you insist on slouching like a creep.”

When Chandler turned back around, Veronica rolled her eyes, but straightened her posture to project an air of confidence.

Martha and Betty looked amazed at her new look when she sat down in class with them, and she shot them a nervous grin as the teacher greeted the class. The moment they had time to talk, Veronica found herself bombarded with questions from her packmates.

“What happened?”

“Where’d the blazer come from?”

“You’re not leaving us, are you?”

“What?” Veronica balked, “No way! I can be part of more than one pack, you know. Just because I’ve got some makeup and a blazer doesn’t mean I’m going to abandon you.”

Betty and Martha looked relieved.

“Don’t let them change you, alright?” Martha said, leaning up to scent Veronica.

“I won’t. I promise,” Veronica murmured, bending down to nuzzle Martha’s neck and scent her in return.

“You’re still ours,” Betty said, pressing her face into Veronica’s neck, “Don’t forget it.”

Veronica purred and returned the gesture. “Never.”

At that, they parted ways for their next classes, and Veronica relaxed slightly with the knowledge that her pack trusted her not to leave them.

Chandler’s nose scrunched up when Veronica joined them at lunch, obviously displeased with how Betty and Martha’s scents clung to her. Veronica wouldn’t apologize, though. Betty and Martha were her pack, and she’d never abandon them.

“God, Veronica. Are you  _ trying  _ to make us look bad?”

Veronica huffed. “I was just spending some time with my pack. I don’t see how that’s a big deal.”

Duke scoffed. “We’re your pack now. You don’t need those losers.”

“Those  _ losers, _ ” Veronica growled, “Are my packmates. My  _ original _ packmates. That’s not gonna change just because of a new outfit and some makeup.”

Chandler rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just don’t let anyone else smell you or they’ll think we hang out with those two rejects, too.”

Veronica wanted to snarl and snap her teeth, but her parents raised her better than that. She wouldn’t make a scene. She would confront Chandler privately and rationally. She would not lose her temper and make an omega feel unsafe around her if she could help it.

So she stayed quiet, silently planning how she would approach the subject later, and ate her lunch.

Once classes had ended for the day, Veronica found herself walking towards the locker rooms. She quickly changed into her workout gear and went outside to the track, intent on running for a bit to clear her mind and work off some of her frustration. She jumped a bit when her phone buzzed, looking at the notification and sighing when it turned out to be a text from an impatient Heather Chandler wondering where she was. She typed out a quick reply, letting her know where she was and not to wait up for her, before putting in her ear buds and letting the music drown out the sounds around her as she started running.

She ran through at least ten songs. Possibly over a mile. By the time she stopped, her calves ached and her chest burned with every breath, and she was sure she smelled pretty strongly after how much she’d been sweating on the track. She stretched for a bit to cool down and sighed with relief as she trudged up the hill towards the school building, pausing when she noticed Chandler standing at the top, arms crossed, watching her intently.

Veronica waved, but didn’t speed up, continuing up the hill at a leisurely pace. “Sorry if you’ve been here a while,” she called, “I lost track of time. What are you even doing out here? I told you not to wait up.”

Chandler huffed as Veronica came to a stop in front of her and opened her mouth to speak, only to freeze, eyes wide, pupils dilated as she sniffed the air.

Veronica flushed bright red. “Shit! Sorry! My scent blockers must be wearing off!”

She wasn’t sure what she expected to happen, but she definitely wasn’t expecting for Chandler to step into her personal space, bring her hand up to the back of Veronica’s neck, and pull her down to her level so Chandler could press her nose against her scent glands. As it was, Veronica was too shocked to pull back right away, so for a few seconds, she just stood there, bent over at the waist, with Chandler’s face tucked against her neck, feeling hot puffs of air at the hollow of her throat as Chandler breathed in her scent.

Veronica’s face burned with embarrassment and something she didn’t want to think about as she pushed Chandler back. “I uh… I’m gonna go change.”

With that, she turned and bolted towards the school before Chandler could say a word, intent on showering and scrubbing Chandler’s scent off of her so it would stop making her head spin with every inhale.


	2. Not Sure What to Make of This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Heathers think about their new packmate, and Veronica builds a nest.

Chandler collapsed into her unmade bed and groaned, face hot from mortification. She couldn’t believe what she’d done.

She had _intended_ to give Veronica a ride home, maybe even lecture her a bit about the image they had to maintain as the school’s top pack. Instead, she’d gotten a text from Veronica basically blowing her off and telling Chandler to leave without her. She had decided to go find Veronica herself, and ended up at the top of the hill by the jogging track, watching as Veronica all but sprinted through lap after lap around the shredded rubber track.

Then, when Veronica had come up the hill, sweaty and panting with the sun glinting off of her tan skin, she’d made the mistake of being downwind of the alpha.

Veronica’s scent had awoken something primal in her. Something that screamed at her to fall into the alpha’s arms and cover herself in Veronica’s strong scent. She hadn’t even heard what Veronica was saying. All she knew was that she needed to get closer. So that’s what she did. She stupidly pulled Veronica down to her level to practically bury her nose in her neck! And the worst part was that her scent was so _nice._ It was warm and inviting and so soothing she could have melted into a puddle in her arms in a second.

She growled and punched her pillow, flipping over onto her back and staring at the ceiling.

She’d been around alphas. Lots of them. You didn’t get to be the most desirable omega in school by avoiding them. They were usually helpless to her charms, though. One whiff of her scent and they usually bent over backwards to please her.

Veronica was… odd. Where any other alpha would have taken the chance to pull her in closer, to scent her and paw at the front of her blazer like some crazed animal, Veronica had pushed her away and run off before she could say a word. Was there something wrong with her? Was Veronica some weird alpha who didn’t respond to an omega’s scent? She couldn’t figure it out. Nobody had ever reacted that way to her before. She’d always been able to get any alpha or beta-and even an omega from time to time-that she wanted. What was so different about Veronica?

Chandler huffed and pulled the covers over her. Whatever the problem was, it could wait until morning. With that in mind, she curled up and allowed herself to drift off.

* * *

Duke didn’t really trust alphas. They were rude and selfish and never did anything except make unwanted advances toward her.

Veronica, however, seemed to defy her expectations. She hadn’t tried to persuade Duke to give her a chance, or followed her around like some creepy stalker. Instead, she’d respectfully kept her distance and only spoke to Duke when she needed to.

Respectfully. When had she ever known an alpha to be respectful?

She was so used to alphas being loud and aggressive and just all around unpleasant to associate with that she wasn’t quite sure how to deal with Veronica. So she did what she would normally do and glared in her direction every time Veronica so much as looked at her. That never seemed to dissuade anyone before, but it was like Chandler had said. Veronica didn’t act like an alpha.

She certainly _smelled_ like an alpha under those scent blockers. It was hard for her to accurately describe the smell, though. Comforting was the best word she could think of. It was tantalizing in the way that it beckoned her closer, her senses practically begging her to close the distance between them and breathe it in. She could almost recall it, the way it fogged her mind and made her want to curl up in Veronica’s arms, safe and secure in the alpha’s grip.

Duke rolled her eyes at the train of thought, ignoring the heat in her cheeks, and returned her focus to the book in front of her. This wasn’t worth losing valuable study time over. Alpha or not, Veronica still answered to Chandler. She wouldn’t dare stick a toe out of line if there was a risk of Chandler finding out about it. Duke was sure of it.

Still, a part of her wondered if Veronica might actually be different from all the alphas she’d met thus far.

She doubted it.

* * *

Mac had known lots of alphas. Most of them were handsy and rough and didn’t listen when she tried to talk.

Veronica wasn’t like that at all. She listened intently, apologized whenever she made a mistake, and was just generally the nicest alpha Mac had ever met.

Granted, the bar wasn’t high, but still. The fact remained that Veronica was probably the best alpha in Sherwood. Maybe even in all of Ohio.

She wondered why Veronica used scent blockers, though. Wasn’t being an alpha something most people were proud of? But maybe she didn’t like being an alpha for some reason, or maybe she just didn’t want to get into any fights with territorial alphas who growled and snarled and bared their teeth at any non-omega that stepped foot in what they considered their turf.

Her scent was dulled a lot by the medication, but from what she could smell, Mac was fairly certain that Veronica’s scent was one of the nicest she’d ever smelled. It was like coming home to a warm fire and wrapping yourself up in blankets during winter. It was like that first sip of coffee that warms you down to your toes, or that feeling when you just woke up and you’re savoring the warmth of the covers before you get out of bed to face the day.

It was so nice that all Mac wanted to do was sink into it and let it wrap her up in nice feelings.

She wondered, briefly, if Veronica might court her. Maybe she’d present her with plush stuffed animals and fluffy blankets and sweet smelling flowers to win her affections. Perhaps they’d go on little dates and cuddle on the couch where Veronica would scent her and hold her close while Mac purred and snuggled up closer to absorb some of her warmth.

She shook her head, silently admonishing herself. Veronica wasn’t just another alpha. She was technically still a little bit of a loser, and until everyone considered her to be on the same level as her and Heather and Heather, she was absolutely off-limits.

Still, it was a nice thought.

* * *

Veronica sighed as she finished moving the last of her nesting materials into the guest room. It wasn’t ideal, and building her nest outside of her room, _her_ space, gave her a slight uneasy feeling, but it was better than risking the Heathers finding out she had one and saying something about it.

Choosing a spot for the nest, she unrolled a king size memory foam mattress cover, spreading it over the floor and positioning it so the edges met the bedframe, before grabbing several pillows and setting them along the edges of the mattress cover, with the edges overlapping so the border stayed at a consistent height. Once she was satisfied with that, she rooted through her collection of bedding and grabbed four soft cotton bedsheets, draping one over each corner of the nest outline.

As she worked on spreading the sheets out, making sure not to leave any part of the mattress cover or pillows exposed, she wondered about how the Heathers would actually react if they saw her nest. She didn’t plan to show it to them at all just yet. They’d only just become aware of her existence today, after all. There wasn’t enough trust between them yet for her to give them access to what was supposed to be the place that she felt safest. Maybe after a few months and _several_ conversations with Chandler about her internal biases, but not yet.

Once satisfied with the base of her nest, Veronica grabbed a dark blue sheet and a few rubber bands and draped one corner of the sheet over one of the posts on the bedframe of the guest bed, twisting a rubber band around it to keep it there and repeating the process with the other corner, using binder clips to fasten the edge of the sheet to the bedframe and keep too much light from coming through. Then, she grabbed the opposite edge of the blanket and tugged it to the far end of her nest, tucking it under the mattress cover and weighing it down with a few heavy books for good measure.

With the basic shape done, Veronica assembled the rest of her stash of pillows and carefully arranged them against the bedframe to minimize the draft coming in from the space under the bed and keep the nest warm. Then, she grabbed as many blankets as she could and set them along the sides of the nest so she could just reach to either side and pull one over herself if she got cold.

It looked more like a pillow fort than a typical nest, but Veronica tended to enjoy smaller, dark spaces.

“It’s not a burrow, at least,” Veronica muttered to herself, grabbing her assortment of items with Betty and Martha’s scents on them (mostly sweatshirts and stuffed animals) and tucking those in between the pillows and blankets, putting the softest ones closer to the center and surrounding herself with her pack’s scents.

With a few final adjustments, Veronica crawled out of the nest and inspected her handiwork with a grin. Everything was set up perfectly to her liking for maximum comfort, and the entire guest room seemed more welcoming now that she’d finished it.

“Veronica?”

Veronica turned around. In the doorway stood her father, leaning heavily on his cane and peering into the room with a curious look on his face.

“Hey dad,” she said.

He smiled. “Hey there, pup. What’s this?”

Veronica shrugged. “There’s a pack at school that invited me to join them, but I don’t really feel ready for them to see my nest yet. They’ve got some… _ideas_ about how I’m supposed to act as an alpha, and I don’t want to give them anything to make fun of me for.”

Mr. Sawyer scoffed. “The only one who gets to decide how you conduct yourself as an alpha is you.”

Veronica smiled. “I know, dad.”

“Good,” he said, “C’mon downstairs and have dinner. I made spaghetti.”

“Oh _hell_ yeah!” Veronica cheered, eagerly following her father down to the dining room.


	3. Virgin Shaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Heathers find out something new about their packmate.
> 
> Mac is (somewhat) subtly thirsty.

Veronica suppressed a groan as she shoveled another forkful of the school’s poor imitation of meatloaf in her mouth. To her left sat Chandler, and across from the two sat Duke and Mac.

All three of whom were currently in an intense discussion. One that Veronica wanted no part of.

“Yeah, for an alpha, Peter’s a total bore in the sack,” Chandler griped, “He’s not too rough or anything, but he has _no_ imagination! He’s so _vanilla!”_

Veronica resisted the urge to roll her eyes, jabbing at her food with a bit more force than necessary.

“Better than that beta, Keith,” Duke grumbled, “I’m never letting you set me up with that asshole again, by the way.”

“What’s so bad about him?” Chandler asked, smiling innocently.

“You know exactly what’s so bad about him!” Duke snapped.

“Wait, which one?” Veronica asked, “Bad Sex Playlist Keith or Shit Kink Keith?”

Duke gagged. _“What?”_

Veronica hummed. “So Bad Sex Playlist Keith, then.”

“Wait, no. You don’t get to just say something like that and not explain it,” Duke said, “Which Keith has a shit kink?”

“Not telling,” Veronica replied, “It’s his business.”

“Holy shit. Have you hooked up with him?” Chandler demanded, eyes sparkling with malicious glee.

Veronica snorted. “No. He told me once. Don’t ask how it came up, because I wouldn’t be able to tell you.”

“Well that’s... good,” Mac said questioningly, looking thoroughly uncomfortable with this new knowledge.

“Well, who _have_ you hooked up with?” Chandler asked, “You’ve got to have a story or two of your own.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t have any tales of sexual misadventures to share,” Veronica said, taking another bite of the dry meatloaf.

“Oh, come on,” Duke said, “You’re an _alpha!_ And you don’t look _totally_ disgusting. I’m sure you’ve had at least one shitty experience.”

“Haven’t had any experience at all, actually,” Veronica replied, “I’m a virgin.”

The Heathers went quiet.

“And I’m choosing to ignore that jab at my looks, by the way,” Veronica added, not sparing them a glance as she continued to eat the substandard American cafeteria fare.

“You…” Mac cleared her throat nervously, “You’ve never had sex? Like... with anyone?”

“Yup.”

Chandler scoffed. “I don’t believe you. What, Martha Dumptruck never asked you to _take care of her heat_ before?”

Veronica growled before she could stop herself. “It’s _Dunnstock._ And no, despite having multiple opportunities over the years, she’s never asked.”

“Never?” Mac asked, bewildered.

“Not once.”

Duke stared at Veronica, baffled. “You’ve been around an omega in heat _multiple times_ and you’ve never done _anything_ with her?”

Veronica scowled. “She’s never wanted me or Betty to do anything like that. We just make sure she stays fed, hydrated, and clean while she waits it out.”

Duke studied her face for a long while. “...You’re serious.”

Veronica snorted. “Yeah, I am.”

“Well you’re in luck, then,” Chandler said, “There’s a party this Saturday and you’re going with us. We’ll find you a beta or omega or whatever you’re into and you can finally lose your v card.”

“How _generous_ of you,” Veronica said sarcastically, “But I’m not interested in my first time happening at a shitty party with some rando I hardly know because _someone else_ is embarrassed about it on my behalf.”

“Some alpha _you_ are,” Chandler snickered.

Veronica huffed. “Y’know, I wonder why you’re so adamant about me becoming sexually active. It’s kinda invasive, don’t you think?”

“We have a reputation to maintain!” Chandler hissed defensively. “Nobody’s gonna take you seriously as an alpha if you’re a virgin!”

 _“Nobody_ will take me seriously? Are you sure about that? Because my _other_ packmates take me plenty seriously,” Veronica said, narrowing her eyes at Chandler as she spoke, “Or do you mean that _you_ won’t take me seriously as an alpha unless I get laid? Because if that’s what you’re insinuating, then I have no reason to stay with a pack that doesn’t allow me to make my own decisions regarding my sexuality.”

All three Heathers’ eyes widened at that, flabbergasted by the blatant show of rebellion against the pack leader.

“You’re kidding, right?” Duke blurted, laughing nervously, “I mean, c’mon, is it really that big a deal? You _are_ an alpha, after all.”

Veronica grit her teeth against the scathing retort at the tip of her tongue, forcing herself to take deep breaths and close her eyes as she went through the mantras her dad taught her for whenever she felt mad enough to snap.

_I am not an aggressor. I will not lash out in anger. I’m an alpha, not an asshole._

Okay, so she made up that last one herself, but it still helped.

After a few moments, Veronica felt herself calming down. With one last deep breath, she opened her eyes.

“Just because I’m an alpha doesn’t mean I’m just DTF at all times,” she said, meeting Duke’s challenging gaze with a calm, yet firm one of her own, “And honestly right now there’s nobody I’d really feel comfortable enough with to let them see me naked in that context, and having you repeatedly insist that there’s something wrong with me for wanting to wait until I _am_ comfortable isn’t making me want to do it any more.”

Duke’s already shaky smile fell as Veronica’s words registered, before she averted her eyes in shame. “Sorry. Yeah. That was… that was pretty bad.”

Veronica blinked, eyes widening a bit in disbelief. “Uh… apology accepted. You’re forgiven.”

Duke grunted, lifting her book back up to hide her face from Veronica’s view.

Chandler rolled her eyes. “Ugh, c’mon, get the stick out of your ass and loosen up. It was just a joke.”

“Jokes can be hurtful, Heather,” Veronica replied, gathering her things and standing up.

“Where are you going?” Chandler demanded.

“I’ve lost my appetite,” Veronica said, picking up her lunch tray, “I’m gonna go find someplace quiet to sit til the end of lunch.”

With that, she turned and walked off, tossing the styrofoam lunch tray into one of the trash cans as she walked out of the cafeteria, leaving the Heathers to watch their newest packmate leave.

Chandler huffed. “Whatever. Not _my_ fault she can’t take a joke.”

“And what’ll you do if she leaves the pack because of your little _joke?”_ Duke asked, putting her book down so she could add air quotes at “joke.”

“Shut up, Heather.”

“Sorry, Heather,” Duke muttered reflexively.

Chandler nodded towards Mac. “What’s up with Heather? She’s just staring at the table.”

Duke shrugged. “Hell if I know.”

Mac suddenly stood up from the table, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “I’m gonna…”

Without elaborating, Mac darted out of the cafeteria, not even bothering to pick up her own tray from the table.

* * *

Veronica sighed as she shut the door to the marching percussion closet in the band room, sitting down on the floor and leaning back against the wall.

She was really starting to wonder if she made the right decision in accepting Chandler’s offer.

_Wow, second day of school and I’m already questioning my life choices._

Chandler was… oddly confrontational. Not even for an omega. She knew firsthand how terrifying a furious omega could be, even if she’d never been on the receiving end of Martha’s ire. She was just unusually aggressive _in general._ She’d never known _anyone_ to have such a short fuse. Even her most “aggressive” alpha cousins’ biggest issues were playing too rough and not thinking before they speak, rather than having explosive tempers.

_Do I make her uncomfortable? Have I somehow crossed a boundary without realizing it?_

Before Veronica could get too far into catastrophizing, the door to the instrument closet opened and she caught a whiff of a sweet floral scent.

“Hey,” Mac said, looking nervous, “Are you alright?”

Veronica shrugged. “Been better.”

Mac nodded. “Sorry about Heather.”

“Which one?”

Mac giggled, shutting the door behind her and sitting down next to Veronica. “Chandler. She’s just… like that. You’ll get used to it.”

“Dunno if I want to,” Veronica said, “I’m used to better treatment from my packmates.”

“Are you the pack leader?” Mac asked.

Veronica laughed. _“God_ no! Our pack doesn’t have a leader. Betty, Martha, and I are all equals. No hierarchy necessary.”

“How does that work?”

Veronica offered Mac a patient smile. “It’s like… it’s like how you and I are interacting right now, but all the time. Nobody’s more or less important than anyone else in the pack. We listen and share the work of taking care of each other.”

Mac hummed. “That sounds really nice.”

“It is.”

They sat in silence for a bit, just enjoying the other’s company.

“Hey,” Mac said.

“Hmm?”

“What sort of stuff do your other packmates do with you?” Mac asked.

Veronica shrugged. “Normal pack stuff, I guess. Scenting, movie nights, pack cuddle sessions in my-” She shut her mouth before she could say anymore, her teeth making an audible _click_ sound as her eyes widened.

Mac was curious now. “Your what?”

Veronica cleared her throat nervously. “My… nest.”

Mac gasped. “You know how to make nests?”

“Yeah. Mom and Dad told me when I was little that nesting’s really important, no matter what your status is,” Veronica explained, “Everyone needs to feel safe, y’know? And nesting is an important part of feeling safe.”

Mac nodded slowly. “Who taught you to build them?”

“My parents kind of took turns showing me how they make theirs, and then they helped me experiment with different shapes and builds until I found a layout that’s comfortable to me.” Veronica laughed to herself as she reminisced. “I remember, I once swiped a bunch of my dad’s sweaters and one of my mom’s favorite blankets and built a nest in my bed in the middle of the night because I was sick and they were asleep and I didn’t want to wake them. They took a picture before waking me up, and then my dad made me soup and they both sat in my room with me and took turns reading to me.”

Mac smiled. “That’s so cute.”

Veronica chuckled. “It’s definitely a better story than the one about my first burrow.”

Mac’s eyes widened. “You’ve built a _burrow?”_

“I’ve built multiple burrows,” Veronica said, “I get really stressed out sometimes, and it’s really difficult to bring myself down from that, so sometimes I build a burrow in my closet and wait it out.”

“Oh,” Mac muttered, looking more than a little concerned.

“It’s fine, though,” Veronica shrugged, “It doesn’t happen often, and as long as I spend enough time with my packmates, I’m usually okay.”

Mac nodded again, brows furrowed in concentration as she seemed to study Veronica’s face, before leaning in and-

Veronica yelped in surprise as Mac nosed at the scent glands on either side of her throat.

Mac purred and inhaled deeply as she scented her, the floral smell filling Veronica’s lungs at every inhale.

Veronica felt herself relaxing into the gentle treatment, leaning her head to one side to bare more of her throat to the omega, who eagerly accepted the invitation.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Veronica said, “But what’s this for?”

“You said your packmates do this for you,” Mac replied, “You’re part of our pack, so I’m gonna treat you like a packmate.”

Veronica let out a happy trill at the confirmation that Mac saw her as an equal packmate. “Can I…?”

“Hmm?”

Veronica hesitantly leaned forward to gently prod at one of Mac’s own scent glands with her nose.

Mac squeaked in surprise, before nodding and baring her own throat.

Veronica purred even louder as she scented her packmate, feeling a surge of pride at the way Mac seemed to melt at the contact, her scent growing even sweeter and more inviting with each passing second.

“You smell really nice,” Mac murmured after a while, her face smushed against Veronica’s shoulder.

Veronica chuckled. “Thanks. So do you.”

Mac hummed absently, and Veronica pulled away from Mac’s throat, pleased at the way their scents mingled.

“Y’r not like other alphas,” Mac mumbled sleepily, “Y’r nice.”

Veronica shrugged. “I just try to be a good packmate.”

“You are,” Mac said.

Veronica grinned. “So are you.”

Mac smiled as her eyes drifted shut. “Sorry ‘bout Heather.”

“Nothing for you to apologize for,” Veronica said, “It’s not your fault.”

Mac purred louder, tucking her face into Veronica’s shoulder and letting her weight settle against the alpha.

“You gonna take a nap?” Veronica asked.

“No,” Mac said, “Jus’ resting my eyes.”

Veronica snickered as Mac yawned. _“Sure.”_

“Mm... shaddup.”

Veronica snorted.

It wasn’t quite the pack cuddle session she’d like, but it did put her at ease just a bit.


End file.
